A marketing manager from the $117 million, Lewiston-basedMaine Family Federal Credit Union is taking part in a newWeb-based reality “show” that challenges young adults ages 18 to 25to tackle their personal financesThe program,called “So You Think You Can Finance,” is developed and facilitatedby NerdWallet, a San Francisco-based personal finance analysisfirm.

For “So You Think You Can Finance,” NerdWallet selected fivecontestants from a pool of more than 100 young adult applicants tosubmit four weekly blogs describing how they'd handle a specificpersonal finance challenge, the firm said.

NerdWallet experts then provide feedback on the contestants'answers, and at the show's end, NerdWallet will ask the public tovote for a winner, who will receive $1,000 and two free financialplanning sessions.

The four challenges center on determining your worth,accomplishing your personal finance goals, investing and decidingwhat you would do with $1 million, NerdWallet said.

Joining 25-year-old Seth Poplaski, the Maine marketing manager,in the contest are Jia Tolentino, a 23-year-old freelance writerfrom Ann Arbor, Mich.; Matt Culkin, a 21-year-old comedy writerfrom New Orleans; Meghan Green, a 25-year-old concert promoter fromBrooklyn, N.Y., and Tristan Nelson, a 22-year-old AmeriCorpsvolunteer from Abingdon, Va.

NerdWallet said it launched the show to help get young peoplethinking about personal finance sooner rather than later, giventhat many are being hit with poor job prospects, low starting wagesand high levels of student debt.

“I have a lot of friends who are smart in their fields but don'tknow much about finances,” said Shiyan Koh, vice president ofpersonal financial management for NerdWallet. “Personal finance issomething that people sort of glaze over and don't want to thinkabout it. But it should be thought of the same way personal fitnessis thought of – as something that brings success into your everydaylife. When you square away personal finance, you can live the kindof life that you want.”

Contestants have been submitting their blogs throughoutSeptember. Public voting will take place Oct. 1-15 and the “So YouThink You Can Finance” winner will be announced Oct. 22, NerdWalletsaid.